THE DAILY LIFE OF OUH FARM. 165 



although not so rare-looking a sample as one could have 

 wished. And yet the parents of the first (the failure) 

 are superbly tinted flowers from the stock of about the 

 best grower in England. However, the farmer, if he 

 would succeed in his profession, must reflect over every 

 experiment : and this is what I did conclude, on my 

 river rock and over the sweetest of pipes- — Why, you 

 see that's a new proof, young man, if you wanted one, 

 that if you are to succeed as a breeder in the pro- 

 duction of fine animals, at all equal to their parentage, 

 you must select for your elements those that are not 

 only symmetrical in form, but whose striking traits and 

 features have become stereotyped in their nature, so 

 that you can safely rely upon "like" being born of 

 "like." More than ever now I appreciate the wisdom 

 of those shrewd, grey-haired men, of whom the auction 

 ring leans forward to take a good look, when the glass 

 runs out, and a small, well-shaped heifer is credited to 

 Mr. So-and-so, at a bidding of many hundred guineas. 

 Besides her own sweet feminine attributes and graceful 

 style of person, her character went beyond, upon a long, 

 stout stock of most fashionable sires. There will be 

 little doubt of her producing beauties. Finally, then, 

 whether you would breed Shorthorns or Southdowns, or 

 any other " fancy stock," you must provide yourself with 

 the very best blood, to begin with, in luell-shaped 

 OMimals that have a genealogical tree of indisputable 

 value. 



It is no good beginning now to start pedigrees. A 

 great and successful breeder, pre-eminent in the prize- 

 list, lately found out this fact, and consequently made 

 a clean sweep of the lot, a grand selection of cows 

 fetching only a few guineas over butchers' price. He 



